Ice Cream Smoothies

A jump to somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, a brief scan with the Mercury visor, and then a second jump brings Mercury and Moon to Ami's seventh story apartment.

As is typical, the apartment is empty.

Ami allows her henshin to drop almost immediately, leaving her in a long nightgown and not much else. "I was sleeping," she apologizes as she realises what she's wearing. Not that Usagi hasn't seen her in a nightgown before.

But then she reaches out to hug Usagi tightly. "What happened that had you so upset, anyways? I don't understand what I said so wrong, or why you were so on edge."

Usagi's henshin drops as soon as Ami's. And then she's hugged, and she returns it tight. "I don't think I would have taken it wrong if I hadn't been so upset. I'm sorry. It was the expensive thing, and my angry brain tried to convince me you were rubbing my nose in things, which is stupid, and I'm sorry I listened to it for even a second!"

Then her shoulders droop. Twice in one day? Twice in the span of an hour?

But Ami's asking, so she swallows thickly before whispering into the blunette's ear.

By the end, hopefully Ami knows why Usagi won't be frequenting the Crown as often. Or drink milkshakes.

"And then I stumbled across him and Kyouko fighting. Well, it was the glowy eyes him, not him him. And after he just sort of...he took off, which is normal, but he was...I don't know. And his text to see if Kyouko was okay was just...one long run on apology."

She steps back and rubs her arm. "That's why I went to Kunzite. He needs to get out of there."

Ami sighs and puts her arms around Usagi, hugging the girl close. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have said it that way, I was just feeling hurt because you accused me of treating you like you were four when I was trying to do the opposite."

"I guess we've all got our own damage," Ami says softly, then kisses Usagi on the cheek.

Ami leads Usagi to the couch and sits her down on it, then goes to the kitchen to prepare cocoa and chocolates. "I do want to get him out of there, but we can't do it until after Walpurgisnacht," Ami explains gently. "And even then, I'm nervous about doing it in Paris. But I will find a way to get him back soon, Usagi-chan. I promise."

"I know you weren't, I don't even know why I said it. I was just...I'd just finished screaming at Kunzite. I think I hurt his feelings."

She sighs and leans back as Ami prepares cocoa, feeling like a million little ants were crawling under her skin demanding she do something now.

Still, she knows Ami is right about Walpurgisnacht. "He'd be upset if he couldn't be there after he said he would." But now her knee is bouncing. "Gah, I just wanna take him away now. Lock him up somewhere and damn the consequences, because at least for that little bit he won't be around her."

She sits up, then. "I can lure him, when we do it. Kunzite was right. It's still...damaged, but it's there. And he feels it, too, which is why I haven't been..." She shifted a bit, looks down to the side. "He found me in Paris after I poked it a little."

Ami turns sharply to stare at Usagi at that admission, then takes a deep breath and turns back to preparing drinks. A few minutes later she emerges with cocoa, and sets both mugs down on the livingroom table. Rather than joining Usagi on the couch, Ami sits across from her, kneeling on the floor.

"Usagi-chan," she murmurs quietly, "You are not four, but I do wish you would be more careful. Listen, I was serious about Zoisite's palace. If everything I have been told is correct, I believe we can lure Mamoru some place like that, and then escalate him. That should cleanse the dark energy, and give him a safe place to remember who he is. If we're lucky, it will work like Jadeite did: he will simply remember himself right away."

"I didn't plan for it to happen. I was just...doing some thinking and I just..." She shrugs. "It still hurt, but it reminded me it's there. And then he came, and I didn't even know it was him at first. He followed me around because he was curious, and when I realized I didn't have to lure whoever it was to the park, I--" She picks up her cup and finishes the rest of her sentence against the liquid. "...bought him an eclair and coffee because I was cold and wanted cocoa."

She looks up at Ami over the edge of the mug. "He won't let Usagi text him because she's a nice, sweet, normal girl. I'm careful, Ami-chan. As careful as I can be."

She sips some more as Ami talks about her plan. Her eyebrows crease. "Do you think we should talk to the raven?" And how its like a writing desk. She shifts a bit more. "I don't think Paris would be the only way there, would it? I mean, that seemed to lead to the creepy garden and then we went to the palace."

And the idea of Mamoru returning was, indeed, a wonderful thought. But she'd be happy with the rusty-eyed boy just having a place to be left alone in peace so he could heal.

Ami nods her head to Usagi's promise that she's being careful. She accepts it, and doesn't argue the point further. She trusts Usagi, even if she's worried.

"I don't know if it's the only way in," Ami admits quietly, "but I can't teleport that far. Although ... I think together, the five of us could. I think I know how to do something very crazy," she tells Usagi with a little grin. "I want to go to the moon. I think there may be some evidence left over of what came before. Who knows, maybe that's where the Crystal is."

Usagi's eyes widen at the mention of the moon. "Go there? Really?" She has mixed emotions about it, of course. Part of her wants to see where she lived in a past life. The other part is terrified of seeing what her home's become.

Then she blinks. "Oh! Paris! Crystal! One of my memories was about the Crystal. Queen Serenity used it to cleanse a dog, and Mercury pulled his head on her lap. You were very young, and of course, absolutely adorable." She blinks. "I think I was five. She. She was five. Serenity. The Princess, not the Queen."

And then, that out of the way, she leans closer, giddy and nervous both. "How would we get there? The five of us?"

"Cleanse a dog?" Ami asks curiously, scrunching up her nose in thought. "Interesting," she murmurs. There is a long moment where she simply thinks, rather than answering the question, then shakes her head and looks to Usagi again. "Remember when we used Sailor Planet attack?"

"I think we can teleport the same way," Ami finishes the thought. "If all five of us are together, I think we can teleport across the planet. Or even as far as the Moon."

"I can try to give you more details, if you want? But I spent most of the time crying behind a pillar. It was scary." She shivers at the thought. Even fourteen year old Usagi found the memory of the dog's beastly shrieks terrifying.

Usagi listens to the idea, eyes growing wide. "Woaaah. That would be...amazing!" Her grin turns sly. "So, in theory, we could teleport to, say, Walt Disney World?"

"... Usagi-chan," Ami scolds gently, then sighs and takes a sip of her cocoa. "Really. Disney World." She clucks her tongue, then sighs and sets hte mug down. "Anyways, whatever you can tell me about the Crystal would be good, but I'm more and more convinced that it's not mine to find. If it's not on the moon, I'm out of theories. I think it's ... someone else's job to find it. Mine is to figure out how to save your boyfriend and his brothers."

Usagi gives a little victory yay. And then she uses the same voice Ami used on her. "Ami-chan. Seriously, you'd be more concerned if I didn't suggest Disney World."

She tilts her head to the side. "What do you mean? Who's is it? If you know, you should tell them to hurry their butt up." Sage nod.

Her shoulders slump a little, though. "I..." She sighs. "I don't really know what all you'd need for that." She taps her chin in thought. "I don't suppose a couple pictures of the Dark Kingdom would be useful? Endymion basically took Sailor Moon on a virtual tour. I think he was trying to not think about other things." And then there was his recent replies, or lack thereof. "Ug, I should probably text him to say I'm upgrading my phone or something and won't export his number, but if he needs me he can still get a hold of me. I don't think I'm making things any better. I yelled at him in text yesterday." She looks back up at Ami. "And yes, I'm being careful."

Ami holds up a hand. "I trust you," she reiterates to Usagi. "I'm worried, but I trust you. If anyone understands how best to deal with people, it's you." Which is why having Usagi yell at her hurt quite so much.

"Anyways, I don't know whose job it is," Ami says faintly. "But it's not something that can be researched. It's got to be intuited. Divined. Maybe Rei. Maybe you. I don't know. But until we have it, we cannot assault the Dark Kingdom. Doing so would be foolish."

She shrugs a little. "Not lately. I mean, you experienced that first hand..." She still feels guilty about that. Probably will until they're both eighty. "Anyway. I'll put those pictures together and send them over now, then text him that thing."

Then she's fiddling with the hem of her shirt and her cup of cocoa. "I know. It's the only reason I haven't tried to just kill her yet."

She looks up at Mercury and blinks. "Think that's it? I've never hated anyone before, but I really really really hate her. Think that's why I'm all messed up?"

"Maybe," Ami says quietly, "but I don't think you're messed up. In the last eight months, we've discovered that we are magical girls, with a history from an Earth that never was. You have fallen in love with your once and again boyfriend, then watched him die--or so you thought--only to discover he was stolen by an evil witch determined to destroy the earth. And then we found out you were the Princess destined to oppose her from that Earth that never was. Frankly," Ami notes, "I think you're doing remarkably well, Usagi-chan. You're brave, strong, and caring. You just need to find a healthy outlet for your anger. It's a valid and reasonable emotion with everything you've gone through."

There's really only one thing to be done, of course, after Ami stops talking and Usagi's blush is still blooming.

Yep. A hug tackle and a snuggle. "My Ami-chan." Happy hum.

And then she thinks about things, and finds herself agreeing. "And yeah, forcing myself to be happy so people wouldn't worry isn't very health either, looking back."

Ami might have been expecting that reaction, so she reaches out and catches Usagi as she pounces on her, then smiles and pets the blonde's hair. "Don't force yourself," Ami suggests gently. "Just let the emotions happen. Don't let them control you, but you don't have to deny them. I'm not here for you because I'm Mercury--I'm Mercury because I'm here for you. You're my best friend, Usagi-chan, and I don't want to see you suffer."

Usagi sighs and snuggles. "I love Mercury because she's you. I know if you weren't her, I'd still love you."

Then there's gentle pokes at the blunettes sides. "Which means, of course, you gotta give your brain rests. You may be the smartest girl on earth, but even your gorgeous, nerdy brain needs rest. So don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Ami squeals and turns all sorts of silly colours, as the pokes tickle her sides. She reaches down to defend herself and squirms away from Usagi, skittering along the ground in her nightgown. "I know I know, I won't," she promises, smiling brightly. "I've been trying to make sure I don't overwork, unless I really have to. I just sorta screwed up this weekend because I was so mad about getting left out of that test."

Usagi starts giggling, fingers relenting after her target skitters. "Ami-chan, you probably weren't put in the list because you'd finish too fast and figure out it was a youma plot thing before they were ready!"

Then she rolls over on her back. "Good. That you're trying not to push yourself, I mean. How about you keep doing that, and I promise to try not to bottle things up?"

Speaking of.

She rolls back onto her stomach. "And I seriously never want to go to the Crown or see another milkshake ever again."

Ami makes a moue with her lips, staring at Usagi with wide, hurting eyes. "But what will I do with the milk and ice cream I've got in my fridge for you, then?" she asks.

Oh noes! Her eyes widen a bit as she tries to come up with a solution! "Uhhhhh..."

Shoot, darn, think!

"Watching her drink my milkshake the way she did kiiiiiinda doesn't..."

She perks up, though. "What about ice cream smoothies?!"

Ami stares at her friend, and for a brief moment the IQ difference is painfully visible. "Yes," Ami agrees, barely containing her giggles. "Yes that's it. Ice cream smoothies! Let's make those."

Usagi rolls her eyes and groans as she follows Ami into the kitchen. "Ami-chan, if you make them kinda thin, they're more like smoothies. And then I can drink it without horkiiiiiiing."

If she stays the night, she's gonna squirm.

"And you can put more tasty things in them," Ami says with a laugh as she pulls out her blender. "I think we've got some blueberries in the freezer. And maybe some bananas ... yes," she reaches for the bananas. "Ice cream smoothies," she says with a chuckle as she starts to put things together. "I love you, Usagi-chan. Never change."